Stella

‘Stella’ is a historic Canadian variety: it was the first self-fertile sweet cherry to be widely released and became the parent of many modern varieties.

The large cherry has a heart shape similar to ‘Lambert’. Its glossy skin changes from deep red to very dark red, almost black, when fully ripe.

The red flesh is fleshy, moderately firm and abundantly juicy. Its flavour is mild, richly sweet and pleasantly aromatic. The fruit is excellent for eating fresh and is also suitable for tarts, clafoutis, jams, preserves and cooking.

Harvest generally takes place from the second half of June into the first half of July, depending on the climate. The fruit should be picked when deeply coloured to obtain its full sweetness.

The tree is very vigorous, initially upright, becoming broader and more spreading with age. It begins cropping fairly quickly and can produce abundant, regular yields. However, the fruit is fairly susceptible to cracking when heavy rain occurs close to ripening.

‘Stella’ is self-fertile and has the S-allele genotype S3S4′. It can therefore crop without another cherry tree and is also a useful pollinator for many other varieties flowering at the same time.